Multicolor weft replenishing loom



June 20, 1933. w WAKEFIELD 1,914,626

MULTICOLOR' WEFT REPLENISHING LOOM Filed Jan. 8, 1932 Patented June 20, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFEQE WALTER H. WAKEFIELD, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO CROMPTON' & KNOWLES LOOM WORKS, OF VJOBCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS MULTICOLOR WEFT REPLENISHING LOOM Application filed. January 8, 1932. Serial No. 585,565.

This invention relates to improvements in multicolor weft replenishing looms more particularly the transfer mechanism thereof, and it is the general object of the invention to adapt a loom of this type so that it w1ll handle properly bobbins of different diameters.

Certain types of cloth use two different grades of filling, certain picks belng relatively coarse such as cotton, and the other picks being fine, such as silk. Cotton ya-rn 1s usually wound on a relatively large bobbln, while the finer silk is usually wound on a small bobbin. As a result the conditions of transfer differ somewhat. The center of the small shuttle used for silk is noticeably lower than the axis of a cotton bobbin located in a larger shuttle, and it is an important ob ect of my present invention to provlde means for varying the throw of the transferrer arm so that it will move lower when transferring the silk bobbin than when transferring a cotton bobbin.

It is to be understood that the bobbins are held in place by springs which spread to receive a fresh bobbin, and then contract to grip and hold the same in position. The cam grooves in the springs which receive the bobbin rings are designed to hold the bobbin in a definite position, and if a bobbin should be pushed too far it could pass entlrely through the springs. By my present 1nvention the amount of movement which the bobbin receives from the transfer mechanism is regulated by the position which it will occupy in the shuttle. All the shuttles of the loom rest on the same shuttle race, and the centers of the several shuttles will be at different elevations.

It is a more particular object of my invention to provide a transferrer arm having a latch provided with two notches of different depths, so that when cooperating with the lay dagger the transferrer can be given a relatively large or small throw, depending upon the size of the bobbin being transferred.

With these and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth in the claims;

Inthe accompanying drawing wherein a convenient embodiment of my invention is set forth,

Fig. 1 is a side view of the two color magazine made according to my present invention, parts being in section,

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 shows a shuttle and bobbin of the size different from that shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, 1 have shown a loom frame 10 and a magazine M supported thereby. The magazine in the present instance is of the two-color type, having two vertical slides 11 and 12, respectively, which are suitably mounted and guided in the plate 13 of the magazine. Flanges 14 form two bobbin compartments or guideways 14a and 15, which are wide and narrow, respectively.

The upper end ofeach slide is provided with a spring dog 16 which cooperates with shelf 17 on a control member 18 secured to a shaft 19 which is journaled in the upper part of the magazine. An arm 20 is secured to the shaft '19 and has rotatably mounted thereon a stud 21l1aving a rectangular portion which slides in a slot 22 provided in a lever 23 pivoted as at 24 to the magazine frame. A spring 25 lies between a fixed part of the lever and the stud and acts to hold the control member yieldingly either in normal down, or transferring raised posi: tion. The lever has an arm 26 extending to the rightas viewed in Fig. 2 to which is attached the upper end of a latch rod 27.

A transferrer arm T is pivoted as at 28 to the magazine and has depending arms 29 on which is pivoted a latch holder 30. The latch 81 may be held to the holder in any approved manner and is normally down, as shown in Fig. 1. The control rod 27 passes under the latch and is effective when raised to elevate the latch so that it will be in the path of a hunter 32, carried by the lay L of the loom. I

The color slide comprises a longitudinally movable shaft or rod 40 to which is secured a casting 41 having horizontal fingers 42 one 100 of which is shown in Fig. 2. A vertically reciprocable rod 43 is attached to a lever 44 which pivots about the axis of rod 40. This lever is connected to casting 41 by means of a rib 45 on the latter. At weft exhaustion the rod 43 moves down to raise the fingers 42, the result of which is to elevate one orthe other of the slides 11 or 12. As usually constructed, if the color slide is forward, in right hand position as viewed in Fig. 1, the slide 11 will be raised, but if the slide is back, or to the left, as shown in Fig. 1, then the rear slide 12 will be raised.

The dog 16 of the raised slide will project over the shelf 17 and at a later point inthe cycle of the loom when rod 43 is raised, the previously raised slide will be depressed if the shuttle corresponding thereto is to be active'on thenext pick thereby moving a bobbin toward transfer position. Upper and lower lugs 46 and 47, respectively, on the slides, cooperate with the fingers 42 to produce the vertical movements of the slides 11 and 12 Release mechanisms commonly called cradles and designated generally at 48 are provided, one for each vertical slide,

and serve to advance the bobbins toward.

transfer position. 7

Front and back bobbin supports 49 and 50 are provided tohold in transfer position any bobbin released by the devices 48, the rear support 50 preferably being yieldable as is usual, and being close enough to support 49 to hold the smaller of the bobbins.

The matterthus far described iseither of common construction, or has been proposed heretofore, and forms no part of my present invention. For afurther understanding of the operation of the magazine reference may be had to Patent No. 1,030,748. It is sufficient for the purpose of the present invention to statethat at the time of transfer the rod 2.7 will be raised through the action of a dog 16 so that the latch will lie in the path of the dagger on the lay, this general concept being the same as thatfound in practically all multicolor weft replenishing looms operating in this country.

In the type of loom to which my invention more particularly relates the shuttles are of two different sizes, being designated herein as S and C, respectively, corresponding to silk and cotton shuttles. The bobbins are also of different sizes, the small bobbin B being held in the silk shuttle S, while the large bobbin L is carried by the large cotton shuttle C,

. In carrying my invention into effect I alter the casting41 and one of the parts forming the yielding lock for the control member, and also provide a new form of latch. Inasmuch as the transferrer arm is to be given two different movements depending upon which character of bobbin is to be transferred, I provide the latch with top and bottom notches and 61, respectively, which are at different distances from the pivot 62 which connects the latch holder with the transferrer arms 29. The bunter on the lay in the present instance is of usual consiruction, being secured to the lay so that it can enter either of the notches.

lVhen the dagger enters the top notch 60 which is relatively near the pivot 62 the transferrer arm will be given a relatively short downward motion such as will position a large bobbin L in the large cotton shuttle C. On the other hand, when the dagger enters the lower notch 61 which is farther from the pivot 62 the transferrer arm will be given a greater motion, such as is needed to transfer one of the small bobbins B into the small silk shuttle S.

The means for determining which of the notches 60 or 61 shall coact with the lay bunter is in the present instance located at the upper part of the magazine and comprises a finger 7 0 carried by the lever 23 and projecting downwardly, as shown in Fig. 2. This finger is adapted for cooperation with one or the other oftwo different positioning surfaces 71 and 72 cast integral with or otherwise carried by the part 41. These surfaces are at different distances from the axis of the shaft 40 and therefore are able to stop the lever 23 in either of two positions, depending upon the longitudinal position of the color slide, which in turn determines which of the surfaces is to be engaged by the finger 70.

The relatively high surface 71 coacts with the finger to give the rod 27 a relatively low position the effect of which is to render notch 60 operative with the dagger. It is this notch which gives the relatively short motion'of the transfer for the cotton shuttle and surface 71 therefore corresponds to the front cell 14 and front slide 11 and is positioned to the left of the low surface 7 2.

a When the finger 70 rests on the low surface the lever 23 will receive a relatively larger left hand motion the effect of which is to position the rod 27 in its high transfer position to place notch 61 in the path of the hunter 32. In the following transfer, therefore. the arm T will receive a relatively large motion to transfer the small bobbin into the small shuttle.

t is to be understood that the color slide is moved to the right to cooperate with vertical slide 11 and under these conditions the high surface 71 will coact with the finger 70. lVhen the color slide is moved to the left, or in the position shown in Fig. 1, however, the fingers 42 are so disposed as to coact with the vertical slide 12, and under these conditions the low surface 72 will be under 7 the finger 70.

\Vhile I have shown an invention in connection with a loom coacting with only two colors, yet it will be understood that the rela tively high andlow surfaces which coact not shown st-a with the finger 70 are independent of each other, although moving together, and the invention is therefore not limited to two colors. It will further be seen that the particular mode of controlling the transferrer arm set forth herein is to alter the latch, but the effect of this alteration is to bring about two different relations between the lay and the transferrer arm one of which gives the arm a relatively long motion and the other of which gives a short motion. I do not wish to be limited to the use of the double notched latch in order to accomplish this result.

It is to be understood that the surfaces 71 and '72 are preferably concentric with the QiiB of the color slide shaft 40 and are of cient length to permit a limited angular ..ement of the color slide when in contact i the linger 70, and it is to be understood r the rocking movement of the Cl. or ii at the time of weft detection which occurs on transferring beats of the loom will take place after the customary shuttle feeler ts to reset the control member 18. This relation avoids wearing of the finger by the surfaces 71 and 72.

I From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided means for giving the trans ferr r arm two different degrees of motion don-ending upon the size or character of the bobbin to be transferred and the shuttle to receive it. It will further be seen that this ront l is exercised through a longitudinally movi g member which has surfaces of two ifferent heights. these surfaces being effec tive to relate the lav and the transfer mechanism u two dif erent conditions each of ch will give the transferrer arm a differen amount of motion. More specifically, the

. have been mounted on the lower do and the control exercised through the ding locl; for the control member 18 to t er with the rod which normally lifts e latch, and the latter is proviled .vith notches of different depths or distances from the axis 69.. The invention also contem plates the provision of means to move bobbins to two different positions at the conclusion of the transfer stroke, regardless of the size of the shuttles.

Iaving thus described my invention it will be seen that changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art wit out departing from the spirit and scope of tee invention and I do not wish to be limited. to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is:

1. In a weft replenishing loom for weaving a fabric having two different weft-s and operating with a large bobbin for one weft and a small bobbin for the other weft, transfer mechanism to transfer either size bobbin, and means to give the transfer mechanism Sll different degrees of motion depending upon the size of the bobbin being transferred.

2. In a weft replenishing loom for weaving a fabric having two different wefts and operating with a large bobbin for one weft and a small bobbin for the other weft, transfer mechanism to coact with the bobbins, and means to advance a. selected bobbin to transfor position and also control the amount of motion of the transfer mechanism to give the said transfer mechanism a movementproportional to the size of the bobbin being transferred.

3. In a weft replenishing loom operating with bobbins of different sizes, means to select a bobbin of any of said sizes for transfer,

and a transferrer arm under control of said means and effective by virtue of said control to move dilferentamounts depending upon the size of the bobbin being transferred.

4. In a weft replenishing loom for weaving a fabric having two different wefts and operating with a large bobbin for one weft and a small bobbin for the other weft, a transferrer arm, a lay, and means dependent upon the size of the bobbin being transferred to relate the lay and transfer arm in different ways to give the latter varying degrees of motion depending upon the size of the bobbin being transferred.

5. In a weft replenishing loom operating with bobbins of two difierent sizes, a transferrer arm, a lay, and means to relate the lay and transferrer arm in two different ways one of which gives the transferrer arm a relatively long motion and the other of which gives a relatively short motion depending upon which size bobbin is being transferred.

6. In a weft replenishing loom operating with bobbins of difierent sizes, a transferrer arm, an actuator to move the arm, and means to select a bobbin for transfer and effective to relate the actuator and transferrer arm to cause different movements on the part of the arm depending upon the size of the bobbin being transferred.

7. In a weft replenishing loom operating with bobbins of different sizes, a transferrer arm, an actuator to move the arm, a movable device assuming diflerent positions depending upon which size of bobbin is to be transferred, and means controlled by the device to relate the actuator and transferrer arm under different conditions effective to give said arm varying degrees of motion depend ing upon the size of the bobbin being transferred.

8. In a weft replenishing loom operating simultaneously with large and small bobbins, a transferrer arm, and means to give said transferrer arm a relatively large motion when transferring a small bobbin and a relatively small motion when transferring a large bobbin.

9. In a weft replenishing loom for weaving a fabric having two difierent wefts and operating with a large bobbin for one weft and a small bobbin for the other weft, a transferrer arm, an actuator to move the arm, a latch to be operatively related to the actuator, and means to relate said latch to the actuator in two different ways one of which gives a larger movement to the transferrer arm than the other.

10. In a weft replenishing loom for weaving a fabric operating with a large bobbin for one weft and a small bobbin for the other weft, a transferrer arm, an actuator to move the arm, a transferrer latch connected to the arm to be operatively related to the actuator, and means to place the latch and actuator in two relative positions one of which is effective to give the transferrer arm a relatively long motion and the other of which is effective to give the transferrer arm a relatively short motion.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

WALTER H. WAKEFIELD.

having two different wefts and 

